Tuesday, April 15, 2014

A little catchup

1. I just completed my (hopefully) last tax season ever! I mean, really that's kind of a big statement and an exaggeration since I still plan on doing some tax returns each year for friends and family and potential others if they want. I have no idea how this mom thing will go for me but if I can handle a small (and I mean SMALL) small small side business of doing taxes once a year, it'd be awesome. But let it be known, I have officially worked 7 tax seasons as a professional.

2. I am a mess over the nursery. I have all these booming ideas and then I worry late into the early hours of the morning, PAST midnight, when I need to be sleeping, all about if I would regret painting a chalkboard wall, or if it will look stupid to have a rug under the rocking chair, or if a dresser is really a good idea in such a small room or if I should go with a changing table that is smaller, and if I should do a garland, or if that'd be too busy, and THE LIST GOES ON! I mean seriously, I worry about these things and it keeps me from sleeping! It drives me bonkers! The whole night I say to myself, "Danielle, worry about it tomorrow- just go to sleep....PLEASE just go to sleep...COME ON NOW JUST STOP THINKING!" It rarely works and I've decided I probably will just be like this until its done. So I plow forward.

3. Paul finished the crib and it. is. GORGEOUS! I mean, seriously. Better than I could've imagined. I'm inlove with it! If all things go wrong in that nursery, that crib makes up for it. It's amazing. I'm so lucky.

4. I go through spurts of eating superbly, and then pretty much not great. I usually have a green smoothie each morning no matter what (banana, oats, chia, spinach, orange juice concentrate, frozen strawberries, water), so that's good. But sometimes...like...yesterday. I ate an ENTIRE box of macaroni and cheese by myself for lunch! Yikes! But today I ate a huge spinach salad with tons of veggies and an entire avocado...so you know, I am hoping it all balances out.

5. I'm SO excited for this baby to come! I have a feeling he'll be the most wonderful human being ever to have existed. Also, I am a little nervous. I have these fears that I'll just...suck at being a mom. Anytime I voice these opinions everyone is like- blah blahlbalh you will be amazing! I know, I know. But I can't help it! I don't KNOW what I haven't experienced yet, you know? Like, what if I have a baby and HATE IT?!?! This is my worst nightmare. I don't believe it's possible but there's this fear (I'm sure coming from the devil) that I will be awful or something. Also, I am starting to think...ah! I need diapers! Isn't that kind of one of those necessities? Oh, and uhh...FORMULA??!! Like, I'm not breastfeeding my baby...so I should probably have some on hand! And I need to look up like...how much a baby goes through formula and how fast. Cause do I just get one can, or a billion? These are the things that suddenly come to me and I get all crazy anxious about. I just need to do my research and do my shopping.

6. I am finding that I feel so cramped and squished...this is seriously not good since I still have two weeks before I even hit the third trimester! It will just get a hundred times worse, I know. Everytime I bend over it is such an ordeal! And everytime I move from one side to the other, it is so hard. I'm seriously concerned about that third trimester. How will I survive!

7. We both feel so blessed! Life is just amazing. We are so happy and excited about everything in our life.

Hopefully my next post will be pictures of the baby room eh? And maybe I'll be sleeping better.

6 comments:

  1. Loved this post. But I have to comment later. I love you!!!! And I have a feeling he'll be the most wonderful human being ever to have existed- was one of the best sentences I ever read. Too funny and wonderful. I think you'll be right :)

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  2. Ok, I hate to break it to ya, but you probably won't be sleeping any better for a long time. :) :) I'm pretty sure you feel so squished cuz you're so tiny. I guess that's the one good thing about having extra cushioning. Pregnancy isn't as uncomfortable as for those in shape! Well, a good shape. Smaller one. Ok I'm rambling and making it worse. Yay for taxes being done!!! Congrats! And you'll figure it out. You have to! The babe will be here and you'll just have to! Ok, this is seriously not an encouraging comment. Love you!

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  3. haha oh man you are so pregnant. I was the same way with Maddie's pregnancy. I think it has to do with being pregnant and the FIRST child bc this child I'm not concerend about a nursery or anything. But with maddie, I was the same. Coudn't sleep, could not turn my brain off. I was CRAZY! And I hated it! And I knew it was stupid and didn't matter but I couldn't stop it! Thankgoodness it won't last forever, and i agree the best way to deal with it is just to plow through, get it done ha. I'm so happy you are pregnant! Taxes- that is awesome to think of how long you've been doing it, and that this coul be your last REAL BIG one! That would be so wonderful for you adn your family if you coul do a small busines on the side. Oh my gosh- ok- sorry to sound like the others, but danielle, out of all my sisters, you are the LEAST of my worries. You are very optimistic, goal oriented, super healthy, exersize, and multi-task, and have fun, so I'm NOT concerened about you being a mother!!! AT. ALL! I love you so much and miss talking to you!! life has been busy for me lately- i love you-

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  4. That's so awesome about finishing up work. I remember that. The nursery- just remember- if you hate it, you can change it. I would just do something and know it isn't forever if you don't like it. I'm glad you love your crib so much! Don't worry about the food. I think it's great you're eating so well half the time. I feel like that's like me. I eat good, and then I STUFF MY FACE with chocolate. Like wayyyyyy more than normal. OMGosh the cramped and squished. I am so with you!!!! I complain constantly! For some reason, I always find it difficult to find the formula amounts to feed your baby online, but I have them somewhere, I will send it to you. It changes so fast in the beginning so it's really useful to have on hand, just printed by the bottles. Also, you can always call your pediatrician. They know everything like that and can just tell you on the spot. It's great. So many people stalk up on diapers and we never did. We took it one box at a time and bought another when we got low. The only suggestion I would make is to stalk up for the first round. Just make sure you have something when you come home. Just a small bag or two of the NB diapers. The thing is, you never know how big your baby will be or how fast they'll grow. Scarlet stayed in NB forever because she shrunk and didn't grow for like 2 months- but most babies outgrow that size the first week. So I don't like to stalk up and have extra diapers- but that's just me. To me- you buy the diapers either way, so unless they're on sale, I buy as I need. But some people prefer a stock. They grow/change sizes kinda fast until they reach size 3, then they stay there for months and months. The others you only go through a big box or two. Formula- stock up. It's the worst when you're like, "Crap! We're about out! Run to the store!" And that doesn't change, it's the same thing all year long. So buy it up, I say. Did we go through 3 tubs a month? That seems right? It seemed we always went through a costco size box of diapers a month and 3 tubs of formula a month. I THINK. Just to give you a ROUGH idea.

    Oh yeah- the mom thing. Hate to be repetitive, but you'll be a great mom. It's a choice, and you want to be a good one. You won't be a good one because you have special powers and will be immune to weakness, but you're a smart gal, you're WAY PREPARED (I feel this is the biggest challenge for mothers- preparedness). There will be times when your baby is screaming and you want to (and might) scream right back at them. And there are times when you may have the literal instinct to just TOSS them out the window- I'm serious! I can't think how many times my babies were screaming and my arms just wanted to toss them away and be done- but of course you don't, it passes and everything becomes good again. I think the worst part is 2 weeks in. At first you have this HIGH because you have a new baby, and it gives you strength through your tiredness, but then after two weeks, the tiredness hits this unbearable unknown level and you have no strength left and that's when things get really horrible. But it passes. You'll be fine. Just remember it's so normal for it to be hard and don't feel like you need to pretend it isn't. You have all us sisters to cry to and talk to, we all know how you feel and won't hold back at all. That's the nice thing about Arnold girls! Holy craps this is a long comment. Maybe I should've emailed. LOVE YOU!!!

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  5. You are awesome! I went through the same thing with Jet's nursery. I spent SOOOO much time on it, and thought about it at night. Don't worry. As long as you like the colors, and it feels clean and soothing, it will be FINE! Mac and cheese is addicting! Thank goodness I can feed most of it to the kids, or I would eat that much too. I had the exact same thoughts during my pregnancy. What if I'm bad? What if I don't like it? I have so much to get. I don't know what I'm doing. There will be hard times, when you're tired, etc but really, it is awesome. And, you learn as you go. Luckily, they sleep a lot when they r little, that's when I read up on baby raising books. Don't feel like you need to know it all now. Be prepared, but just learn day by day : ) Then, enjoy your baby. Awww...so excited for you!!!

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  6. I have a friend that works during tax season for like H&R Block at nights and then doesn't work the rest of the year. She enjoys it but is always excited when it's done too. I would have a little stock pile of diapers. One or two nb packs and then ones and twos after that. Kirkland brand is size 1/2 as one sized box. It's certainly nice to have it so you don't have to worry or leave the house for them at the beginning. For formula, I would count on about 9 of the normal size similac or Enfimil cans. Translating over to the big Kirkland brand ones, I'm not sure what it is but that will give you a start in figuring it out. Kirkland formula is by far the cheapest good formula. I've had to buy the Wal-Mart brand in a pinch and it just mixed differently and Trenton struggled with it. Loved the Costco brand or the two name brand ones. I would buy at least a month's worth just so you didn't have to worry about it. Two if you can. Also with my experience Huggies are awesome for boys. Kirkland brand is Huggies. Heidi found an article when our three year olds were born talking about how Huggies were great for boys and pampers fit girls better in general. We had to chuckle because Heidi always prefered pampers and struggled with Huggies. The article made sense. Being a mom will kick in. You have great examples in your sisters and your mom. And in the end, all that baby will crave is you no matter what the room looks like.

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